It looks like Penn State wrestling will have one of its starters good to go Sunday at Lehigh.
It is projected that 133-pounder Braeden Davis will be able to go Sunday after sustaining a minor injury in the Penn State’s first dual meet of the season against Drexel.
“The decision to have him go is more about, ‘Is he excited about it? Is he ready? What do the trainers and doctors say?,’” coach Cael Sanderson told reporters Monday afternoon. “He’s been back on the mat last week. He’s doing pretty good.”
Davis is the defending Big Ten champ at 125 and entered the NCAA Championships at the No. 1 overall seed before falling one win short of All-America status.
His projected opponent is none other than the No. 1 wrestler in the country at 133 in Ryan Crookham.
NOT A MARQUEE MEET, BUT…
Photo by Penn State Wrestling: Cael Sanderson
It may not be one of the dual meets that Penn State wrestling fans circle on the calendar but Lehigh is usually one of the more fun non-conference meets of the season.
As far as the non-conference portion of the schedule goes, the Mountain Hawks usually put up one of the best fights to the Nittany Lions. The two schools get together annually for the dual meet, with the exception of 2021 when COVID restrictions limited Penn State to only compete in a Big Ten schedule.
The dual meet has become big enough that the Mountain Hawks are moving it to the to the PPL Center in Allentown, just six miles from Lehigh’s campus.
“I don’t know if it’s really a neutral site. It’s in their backyard,” Sanderson said. “We basically just go wherever they say we’re competing. Sounds like it will be a great atmosphere. We’re looking forward to a great test. Lehigh is one of the great programs in the nation. Their coaching staff is really great.”
Lehigh is ranked 14th by InterMat and features the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 133 in Crookham.
MORE ABOUT LEHIGH
Lehigh has five others ranked by InterMat in Sheldon Seymour (15th at 125 pounds), Malyke Hines (22nd at 141), Kelvin Griffin (29th at 149), Michael Beard (6th at 197), and Owen Trephan (10th at 285). Beard started his career at Penn State, getting seventh place at 197 pounds at nationals in 2021.
“Lehigh is just one of those matches that goes back many, many years,” Sanderson said. “For the alumni when I got here, I think it was one of the more important matches to them. They kicked our butts a few times, so that makes it a little more fun. The match is always competitive. They’re just a great program.”
BULKING UP
When Josh Barr stepped on campus for the first time in summer 2023, he weighed about 180 pounds. When Carter Starocci announced his intentions for coming back this season and wrestling 184 pounds, it left Barr with a decision.
I said, ‘I’m either going to get big or not.’ I made the choice to go up and it’s been fun,” Barr said.
“When I came in, I honestly thought I was going to be a (1)74-pounder. I figured out after a couple months that wasn’t going to happen. I was an 84-pounder last year and I felt good. This summer when I put on the mass I felt better. I feel stronger at this weight class.”
What was Barr’s secret to bumping up to the next weight class? Buy a cow. Literally.
Barr called in a favor to teammate Tyler Kasak’s father, who runs a farm. He now eats red meat almost
every day.
“I used to come up here in high school and wrestle at the RTC and stay with Tyler,” Barr said. “I knew he had a farm back home. I said, ‘Hey, I want to get on this.’”
